Fence.



. No.-69l,504. Patented l'ah. 2|,-l902.

D. L. M. TITSWOBTH.. FENCE.

(Application filed May 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

THE Noams PETERS coy. num'ouma, WASHINGTON. u c.

UNITED STATES 'ATENT Price.

DOCK LEE MARION TITSVVORTH, OF ROSENBERG, TEXAS.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 691,504, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed May 2,1900.

T aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOCK LEE MARION TITSWORTH, of Rosenberg, in the county of Fort Bend, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

. The object of my invention is to produce a light, durable, inexpensive, and rigid wire fence, the means for accomplishing that result being mainly found in the supporting members and the means of assembling them with the stringers or horizontal wires.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a perspective View of a portion of my fence, illustratingits terminal or braced panel. Fig. II illustrates the form of construction for the wire brace-frame of the braced panel. Fig. III is a side elevation of a section of a modified form, showing a preferred form of the auxiliarysupport. Fig.1Villustrates another form of auxiliary support, and Fig. V a still further modification thereof.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates each of the series of stringers or horizontal strands of wire of which my fence is composed. My invention consists in providing effective means of supporting the stringers, of whatever number they may be, securely and tautly in position. The stringers 1 are preferably supported at long intervals by wooden or other strong posts, such as posts 2 and 3, (shown in Fig. 1;) but as such posts are heavy,comparatively expensive,and subject to decay I prefer to eliminate their use altogether or as much as possible by providing at frequent intervals auxiliary supporters consisting of wires secured to the several stringers, thereby serving to space them properly, and preferably provided with a foot by which they also serve to support them from the ground. All of the auxiliary supporters that are provided with a base have this feature in common-nam ely, that they consist of one or more vertical supporting-strands and of a foot consisting of an interwoven portion bent at right angles to the supporting strand or strands. For example, the vertical portion 5 of the auxiliary supporter shown in Fig. I is provided with a base 6, composed of Serial MOI-15,252. (Noinodel) a pair. of opposite indentations 7, crossed strands S and 9, and standards 10. In Fig. IV the vertical portion 11 is provided with a base consisting of loops 12 and 13. In Fig. V the vertical portion 14, as shown, is provided with modified forms of loops 15 and 16. The supporting members above referred to are illustrated mainly to suggest the variety of forms into which the base may be shaped by intertwining the ,wire of which the vertical port-ion is composed. The preferred form of supporting member, however, is shown in Fig. III, upon reference to which it will appear that the supporting member consists of a pair of wires 17 and 18, wrapped, respectively, about each of the stringers 1, as indicated at 19, and crossing, as indicated at 20, between each pair of adjacent stringers. This construction not only serves to rigidly secure the stringers at proper distances apart, but also renders the fence more readily visible, which is a desirable feature in fences used in inclosing stock; The supporting member shown in Fig. III is preferably provided with a base adapted to beburied in the ground, this base being composed of extensions 21 and 22 of the wires 17 and 18, respectively, which, crossing at 23, terminate in an interwoven or intertwisted horizontal portion 24., that is in practice set in the ground like the ordinary post. For light fences the supporting members shown in Fig. III provided with bases may be employed instead of the posts 2 and 3, above referred to; but for long stretches of fencing I prefer to employ at long intervals the wooden posts, as above specified.

In Fig. I, I illustrate abracing-panel, which is adapted to be used at terminals or corners of fencing as a means for holding the stringers 1 securely stretched and taut. My bracing-panel consists of a pair of posts 2 and 3, united by a rigid member-for example, a cross-bar 26-nailed to the tops of the respective posts. The bar 26 and posts 2 and 3, with the ground into which the posts are inserted, constitute a rigid rectangular frame, which is an expedient familiar in the art of fence construction. My invention consists in providing abracing member for securely holding the frame in position against the tension of the stringers 1. My bracing member consists of a slightly-inclined frame 27, provided at its top with a guy 28, that is connected, as indicated at 29, with the collar of one of the posts, preferably the inner post 3, at about the surface of the ground. At its bottom the frame 27 is provided with a guy 30, which extends in a slanting direction to the top of the post, to which it is secured, as indicated at 31. The frame 27, with the guys 28 and 30, preferably consists of a single piece of heavy wire, the frame being bent in the same manner as the base 6 of the supporting member illustrated in Fig. I and previously described.

The bracing member above described possesses, among others, two distinctive and valuable features-namely, the means which facilitate its being set in the earth and the relative location of the frame and the guys,

respectively. With regard to the former its shape is such that a cross-trench 32 (illustrated in Fig. II) is adapted to accommodate it. This may not only be easily made, but its cross-head 33 affords a broad bearing of undisturbed earth for the retention of the frame 27' from the time when the frame is buried. with respect to the second feature the frame is adapted to be set in the ground almost in the vertical position. Consequently the tension upon the frame tends but slightly to draw it out of the earth, and this slight tendency is produced by tension upon the guy 30, which, however, is resisted by the counter tension of the guy 28, tending to prevent the tilting of the frame and the uplifting of the lower end thereof.

What I claim is 1. An integral bracing member consisting of a frame and acpair of guys proceeding therefrom in a plane at right angles thereto,whereby the bracing member may be sunk into a cross-shaped trench, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. An integral bracing member made of a single pieceof wire, consisting of a frame and a pair of guys proceeding therefrom in a plane at right angles thereto, whereby the bracing member may be sunk into a cross-shaped trench, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A bracing member made of a piece of wire to form a frame with opposite indentations and cross-strands, the ends of the wire projecting from the indentations in a plane at right angles to the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

DOCK LEE MARION TITSWORTH. 

